capillaries
Tiny Blood Vessels
Plain-language definition
The smallest blood vessels connecting arteries to veins. In the retina, capillary damage from diabetes causes microaneurysms, leakage, and vision loss.
Where this term comes up
“Dilated surface capillaries: small vessels on disc surface become prominent”
Finding · Optic Disc Edema (Swelling)
“When the blood-retinal barrier breaks down, fluid, proteins, and lipids leak from retinal capillaries and accumulate within the retinal layers.”
Condition · Macular Edema
“In the acute phase, the blocked vein causes increased pressure in the retinal capillaries, which may rupture and bleed.”
Condition · Vitreous Hemorrhage
- Category
- Anatomy
- Also written as
- No alternate forms listed.
Anatomy terms name the eye, orbit, optic nerve, retina, or visual pathway structures that may appear in an exam note or imaging report.
Related glossary terms
- fundus
Back of the Eye
- macula
Central Retina
- hemorrhage
Bleeding
- ischemia
Reduced Blood Supply
- OCT
Optical Coherence Tomography
- subretinal
Beneath the Retina
A note on medical context
A glossary definition can explain a word, but it cannot tell you whether a symptom or test result is serious. If this term came from an article, use the full article and your clinician's guidance for context.